With Doc Rivers headed west to coach the Los Angeles Clippers, who might lead the Boston Celtics next season?

Here are 12 potential replacements:

Lawrence Frank: Most recently the Detroit Pistons head coach, Frank spent one season as the Celtics' de facto defensive coordinator. Not exactly serene on the sidelines, the 42-year old probably spends more nights than he'd like to nursing a sore throat. Passionate and fiery yet down to earth, he was well-liked during his short stay in Boston.

Because of their prior relationship, Frank would seem to have as good a chance as anybody to connect with Rajon Rondo, who probably isn't thrilled that the Celtics have decided to use at least one of his prime seasons as a bridge year. Frank has plenty of experience (eight years and change) as a head coach, but his track record isn't elite. He holds a 279-335 regular season record, making the playoffs just three times and never advancing past the second round. While that isn't entirely his fault (if Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich had co-coached last season's Pistons, they still probably wouldn't have reached the playoffs), he's not a home run choice despite his history in Boston.

Frank is born on my mother's birthday, though, so that scores him points in my book. (Note: It doubles as Kobe Bryant's birthday, so maybe those points should be removed.)

Tyronn Lue: Though Lue would require a major promotion to become a head coach, former players have received top jobs with less experience (see: Jason Kidd) and I've been told there's at least some level of support for Lue's candidacy within the Celtics locker room. The 36-year old is regarded league-wide as a rising coach and has earned significant respect from the Boston organization during his four years with the team.

One thing that could complicate Lue's bid: Rivers got Lue his first coaching job and could want to take him to Los Angeles, according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brian Shaw: A former Celtics player and teammate of Danny Ainge's (for half a season, but still), Shaw has been qualified for his first head coaching position for years, but seems to be overlooked for every opening during the interview process. As an assistant coach he's put together a resume as solid as anybody else's, winning two championships alongside Phil Jackson with the Lakers and helping Frank Vogel turn the Indiana Pacers into a real Eastern Conference threat.

One possible fear about Shaw: He's most familiar with the triangle offense, which isn't built for penetrate-first, shoot-rarely point guards like Rondo. It's believed that Shaw would be open to running another offense, but he'd need to prove during interviews that he's capable of overseeing a system built to highlight Rondo's strengths. A candidate in Denver, Shaw could already be committed elsewhere by the time Boston starts meeting with prospective replacements.

J.B. Bickerstaff: If the Celtics can't hire McHale, why not try for his offensive coordinator? Bickerstaff has been given credit for designing the high-powered Houston offense, which was pretty evolutionary in that it was built with advanced statistics in mind. The Rockets shot more corner 3-pointers than any team except Miami and fewer mid-range jumpers than any other team (by far), finishing 6th in offensive efficiency despite not having a second elite scorer behind James Harden. If Rivers deserved to be questioned for any one thing over the past few seasons, it was that the Celtics didn't attempt shots from the right zones. Bickerstaff and his offensive philosophy could help change that, if the Rockets would let him leave.

Lionel Hollins: In some ways, Hollins would be a perfect fit. Potentially without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (plus, with a probable starting backcourt of Rondo and Avery Bradley), the Celtics should be a defensive-oriented club able to shoot about as well as a blind sniper -- which would make them very similar to (albeit less talented than) the Memphis Grizzlies, who Hollins just took to the Western Conference Finals. But Hollins is expected to command a large contract, likely making his services too expensive for a quasi-rebuilding project. Like Shaw a candidate in Denver, Hollins also could be hired somewhere else by the time Boston's search gets underway.

George Karl: Ainge would surely love Karl's fast-paced offensive philosophy, but the reining Coach of the Year (who was fired by Denver after leading the Nuggets to 57 wins) might not want to lead a team with no clear direction. Several respected minds in the NBA question Karl's postseason coaching record, but Denver's first-round exit this year should be handled with an asterisk (*Danilo Gallinari was hurt) and it's not like Carmelo Anthony's contended for multiple championships since being traded to the New York Knicks.

David Fizdale: The Miami assistant coach would be an intriguing candidate after helping the Heat to two straight titles. He was a candidate in Portland last summer, but had just signed a 2-year deal with Miami. Now, he said recently, he would be open to the right opportunity.

Jeff Van Gundy/Stan Van Gundy: Any time a decent coaching position opens up, the Van Gundy brothers are listed as possible replacements. And that's fair, since they're both very capable coaches who haven't stepped on the sidelines in a while. But it could take big money to get either, and it might not make sense for Boston to commit top dollars while still in the rebuilding process.

Danny Ainge: Wait, what? I know, he's the Celtics' president of basketball operations. But executives with coaching experience have returned to the bench before (what up, Pat Riley?) and Ainge is actually 136-90 during three-plus seasons, with trips to the postseason during every campaign he finished (he resigned during his fourth season with a 13-7 record, citing a desire to spend more time with his family).